Sweet River Chicken Sandwich

One of my kids favorite restaurants is Red Robin, and really, what's not to love?  Bottomless french fries, giant burgers,  unlimited refills all of which are perfect for feeding hungry teenagers.  Unfortunately there is not one near us, so it is a rare treat usually reserved for our even rarer vacations.
My oldest son loves the Whiskey River Chicken Sandwich (it's our favorite sandwich to share).   A couple of years ago I decided to see if I could come up with something close. I call my version the Sweet River Chicken Sandwich.

Sweet River Chicken Sandwich

This is a little time consuming to make and definitely not very healthy so we reserve this for special occasions!

You will need:
Buns
Chicken Breast
BBQ sauce
Lettuce
Tomato
Onion Straws (see below for directions)
"Red Bird" Seasoning (recipe below)

First make your Onion Straws. 

Heat 2" of oil in skillet or deep fryer.

Thinly slice a large onion.

Mix together 1/2 C. of flour and 2 tsp. "Red Bird" seasoning.  Toss onion with flour to coat.

Deep fry the onion at 325 degrees until crispy and browned.  The time will depend upon thin your onion is cut.

Place onion straws on paper towels to drain.  To keep warm place in a 150 degree oven.

Next, cook your chicken breasts.  You can grill them or pan fry them.  Sprinkle with "Red Bird" seasoning as they are cooking.

In the last few minutes of cooking, baste both sides of chicken with BBQ sauce.  We use Sweet Baby Rays Original (is there any other?!).

Now to assemble your sandwich:
Layer a bun with the chicken, onion straws, lettuce and tomato.  Add a slice of colby cheese, if you like.

Enjoy with french fries and lemonade!

"Red Bird" Seasoning Blend

1/4 C. salt

1 pkg. Lipton Tomato Soup powder

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. basil

Mix together and store in a spice container.

We love this sprinkled on burgers, fries and chicken.